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Everyone loves a deal. And the Great New Zealand Deal Wars have been spiced up considerably after the arrival of a few new players recently. Now Positively Wellington Tourism is kicking off WellingtonWednesday.com, a site that offers up some of the hottest tickets in town to draw attention to its events culture. But with a reverse auction format and only the cream of the Wellington crop on offer, the creators say it differs from the other deal sites on the market.

Tourism products, event tickets and other experiences will start at market rate, with the Dutch auction seeing viewers decide how low they can wait to go until making a purchase as prices drop by the minute. Goods up for grabs on launch day will include tickets to next year’s NZI Sevens, which sold out in three days last year.

The site is the brainchild of Wellington digital agency TOUCH/CAST, which was charged with coming up with a new initiative using the city’s events programme to drive visitation.

“WellingtonWednesday.com is not about offering ‘anything Wellington’, it’s about the ‘best of Wellington’," says managing director Andrew Hawley. "The site gives access to select Wellington products, packages and ‘money-can’t-buy’ experiences, with the Dutch auction mechanism having the potential to provide huge value to consumers if they have the nerve to hold back against other would-be buyers.”

Positively Wellington chief executive David Perks says Wellington’s culture, shopping, restaurants, scenery and walkability are what make New Zealanders love the city, but events are a key trigger in getting people to ‘book now’. The latest Regional Visitor Monitor found an event was an important factor in decision making for 21.5 percent of domestic holiday travellers in 2010.

“We wanted to take our city’s events beyond calendars and what’s on listings and promote them in a fun and engaging way that also keeps people in the loop on what’s happening and on offer in Wellington. Rather than offering cut price rates, we’re letting the market decide and compete. The longer people wait, the lower the price goes, but the more they risk missing out.”

Auctions will kick off at around 8.30am every Wednesday and are expected to be over within half an hour.

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